Thomas Troward

Thomas Troward (1847-1916) was an English author whose works influenced the New Thought Movement and mystic Christianity. Troward was born to Albany and Fredrica Troward. His father was born in the County of Middlesex in 1799, his grandfather had been a lawyer.
In 1865 Troward won the Halford gold medal for literature. it was while writing the lndian Civil Service examination he found himself unprepared for the subject of metaphysics. When asked what texts he used he gave the, now famous, reply,

"I had no textbooks, sir; I wrote it out of my head."

Back in 1902 a retired judge returned to England from India after almost 30 years of working with and listening to the people of the Punjab as they resolved the many issues that stemmed, in part, from their different religions. In the process, he made a point to study the basic texts of, and listen to teachers about, all the religious traditions of the area of that time. Those included: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikkhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and some variants on those main categories. He spoke Hindi and Urdu and taught himself to read Sanskrit and ancient Hebrew to augment the Greek and Latin he’d learned in school so that he could really understand the texts he was reading. He administered justice in a fair and just way. He established close ties with the Brahmins, some of whom were students of the Vedantic philosophy. He personally witnessed the abuse of occult powers or psychic power on the superstitious beliefs of the ignorant peasantry. Troward had the ability to overcome hypnotic suggestion was not easily misled. He also has superb balance judgement. He was also interested in the legends concerning Gengis Khan in that region and the ensuing legends. He’d noticed the similar features of the gypsies in west England and the Punjab region and was curious of the origin. He investigated and was drawn to Hungary, an it was there while on vacation, he discovered a great Romany, or Gypsy, encampment. There, much to his astonishment, he was able to converse in the very language from the province of his charge with little difficulty. See Romani people.

He was a man of many interests; painting, Indian lore, archeology, the Old Testament, Psalms, the royal Yoga of India, Rajah Yoga .He was not interested in Shakespeare: “I’d rather read Arabian Nights”, And he highly valued Emerson.
In his retirement Thomas Troward hoped to write a synthesis of the experiences and understandings he’d developed over those years, along with painting and raising a family. One day he was working on some notes in a London Tea Room when a woman sat down across from him and introduced herself as Alice Callow, the Secretary of the newly formed Society of Higher Thought, saying that based on the notes in front of him, he surely belonged in that group.
Here he found acceptance. The works of Henry Wood, Charles Brodie Patterson, Elizabeth Towne, Julius Dresser, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Malinda Cramer, Warren Felt Evans, Ralph Waldo Trine and Harry Gaze became mental and spiritual treasures to him. The American magazines of Mind, The Arena, Boston Ideas, Positive Thought, Unity, Universal Truth, Nautilis and the Exodus augmented the Engliish magazine Expression.
Within a few weeks he was presenting lectures there and soon all over the country. His books include copies of the first series of lectures and several more compilations of his ideas. The most famous are:
The Edinburgh Lectures, The Dore Series, The Law and the Word, and The Creative Process in the Individual.
Troward used reason, these teachers spoke of Truth used spontaneous Faith which he admired. Although he gained much from the more popular form of New Thought in its transition from the more abstract metaphysics, he expressed regret that some of its pure beauty Was lost in this development. He was concerned that it might become commercialized, the public wanting to know how to get results and bypassing the Truth in the process. There was a new spiritual understanding and unfoldment that provided a better understanding for people to apply these principles in all area of their lives including health and finance.
At the Higher Thought Centre questions were encouraged. The questioner would provide the lecturer with a cup of tea. One lecturer announced he`d already had two cups of tea. One surprised lady exclaimed`, Two cups of tea, only two: why I have already had ten cups of tea today. Dr. Cornwall Round, always insisted on a glass of milk.
The famous Edinburgh lectures were given in 1904 at the little Quaker Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland, and culminated in his book "Edinburgh lectures on Mental Science". This was three years after the "Gifford lectures" in Edinburgh by Professor William James which were later published as the book "Varieties of Religious Experience". James spoke of New Thought and Mind Healing. Troward, relatively unknown, saw the opportunity to give a much more detailed explanation and application of the laws of mind in relation to healing, happiness, and the unfoldment of mental and spiritual powers. Troward explained the relation between the mind and resulting conditions in the physical body. Some thought it too deep and profound, and too far above their heads. Others were more receptive. "Why don't you have it printed and published, so that we can all get it, and thoroughly understand It?", was a common remark. The idea appealed to him, which in turn has benefitted thousands and future generations, yet to come. Not being an academic Troward didn't have to prove his theories.
Judge Thomas Troward closed his “Edinburgh Lectures” with the words

“Let him that Readeth Understand”

, a gentle reminder of the necessity to not only read but also to assimilate information.

He uses the phrase “Law of Attraction” 5 times. Twice with caps. Read the entire book for the context of his meaning.

 

Troward followed this with "Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning" in 1905, which was termed as "an interpretation of Bible Truths from the standpoint of modern metaphysics." Many Churchmen were attracted to this book. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Chicago personally requested a copy from Troward.

Whatever we believe does, for us, in very fact exist. Our beliefs may be erroneous from the point of view of a happier belief, but this does not alter the fact that for ourselves our beliefs are our realities, and these realities must continue until some ground is found for a change in belief.~ T.T. (Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning)

The "Dore lectures on Mental Science" were first presented at the Dore Art Gallery. Alice Callow had sent a young, but interested, Emmet Fox to hire the gallery for the talks. Here with close contact to an appreciative, receptive and intimate audience Troward found his stride. Always declaring: "In the beginning God". These lectures continued the subjects discussed in the "Edinburgh lectures on Mental Science", both clarifying and extending the teachings.
Troward spoke of the "existence in the spiritual world of a spiritual prototype of every existing thing." Emanuel Swedenborg, Plato, Harry Gaze and Emmet Fox have all used similar themes. Today, in New Age it's called the "Divine Blueprint".

In 1911, he expressed in a letter to Callow the following: "I think from your letter that you too begin to feel, as I do, the presence of something greater than a mere intellectual element in the spiritual life". I have no doubt in due course we shall find it. I think this great secret is nowhere more fully stated than in the writings of St. John."

In another letter to Callow he expressed a simple healing technique: "Perfect love casteth out fear, he that feareth is not mad perfect in Love."

The noted catholic writer, G.K.Chesterton, He scoffed at a “New Teaching” which had adopted the name “Higher Thought.” When asked of his view in the matter Troward replied in a whimsical yet picturesque rhyme:

Do people consider it cheeky
To call our ideas Higher Thought?
Then tell them the purpose of thinking
Is to learn to think as we ought.

If our thoughts don’t get steadily higher.
Retrogression is surely to ensure.
Until we come back to the monkey
From which Darwin tells us we grew.

So then, ever your thoughts should be higher
Unless you’d return to an ape,
And to have Higher Thought as your Centre,
Is the only sure way to escape!

Almost 20 years after Thomas Troward began writing and speaking, a young man in Los Angeles California picked up one of his books off the shelf of a metaphysical library and sat down suddenly, feeling as if he’d “come home.” Ernest Holmes began teaching his own version of these ideas very soon thereafter.
In the days of Harry Gaze, the works of Thomas Troward are required reading in the Practitioner and Minister training programs for Science of Mind (Religious Science, Centers for Spiritual Living).
Ernest Holmes, Joseph Murphy, Frederick Bailes, Robert Blitzer, Erwin Seale, Jack Addington and a host of others were influenced by his work.

“..Far and away the ablest statement of philosophy that I have met, beautiful in its sustained clearness of thought and style..” William James, Professor of Psychology - Harvard

The more light we can have on Troward the clearer will be our teaching of his philosophy. Dr Robert Blitzer, Director and Founder – Hollywood Church of Religious Science

“..probably the clearest teacher of this infinite healing principle in the world’s history with the exception of Jesus..’ Dr. F Bailes

Troward realized the reluctance, inertia and failure of people to have sufficient sense of values, common sense and proportions, so he wrote these shrewd remarks:

“ Now I hope the reader will take the trouble to look up the texts to which I have referred, and not be lazy. I am sure he would do so if he were promised a ten-pound note or a fifty-dollar bill for his pains, and if these promises are not all bosh, there is something worth a good deal more to be got by studying them. Just run through the list: health, wealth, peace of mind, safety, creative power, and eternal life. You would be willing to pay a good premium to Insurance Officer that could guarantee you all these. Well there is and its name is a Company that does this without paying any premiums, and its name is “God and Co., Unlimited”; the only condition is that you yourself have to take the part of “Co.,” and it is not a sleeping partnership, but a wide awake one!
So, I hope you will take the trouble to look up the texts; but at the same time you must remember that the reading of single texts is not sufficient. If you take any isolated phrase you choose, without reference to the rest of the Book, there is no nonsense you cannot make out of the Bible. You would not be allowed to do that sort of thing in a Court of Law. When a document is produced in evidence, the meaning of the words used in it are very carefully constructed, not only in reference to the particular clause in which they occur, but also with reference to the intention of the document as a whole, and to the circumstances under which they are written. “

For the first time in history we have the internet and we can at least try to verify that the information presented in books is factual. We can also verify whether the credentials of the author are legitimate. If not, then don’t read them.

Denial, true-believer syndrome and cognitive dissonance are but a few of the names that will apply to the end of this year. For your friends and family that fall prey to false prophets of 2012 respond from a place of love, not judgement. And help them to move forward and heal.